Book Review- The Dragon Run
- Aug 9
- 3 min read
Tony Robinson-Smith is a British-born Canadian travel writer and author. He has spent time living and teaching in different countries, including Japan and Bhutan. He has written about his adventures and experiences around the world, including his first travel memoir, Back in 6 Years. Robinson-Smith also taught creative writing and has written travel articles for publications such as The Globe and Mail. He moved to Bhutan in 2006 and lived there for two years while teaching at the Royal University of Bhutan. Today, he teaches creative writing at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, Canada. He also teaches English and travel writing at the University of New Brunswick.
Photo credit-nbmediacoop.org
The Dragon Run by Tony Robinson-Smith is about an amazing 578-kilometre running journey across Bhutan. The book is called The Dragon Run because Bhutan is known as the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon. Tony, his wife Nadya, ten Bhutanese college students, and a stray dog travel through the mountains and villages of Bhutan while facing difficult weather, steep mountains, and long distances. Bhutan is a small, beautiful country in the Himalayas, known for its stunning mountains, peaceful villages, and rich culture. It is also famous for its unique traditions, delicious food, colorful clothing, and its focus on happiness and well-being. The journey is also meant to raise money to help children in rural villages get an education. Along the way, Tony learns more about Bhutanese culture, traditions, people, and the meaning of happiness.
The book begins with Tony’s experiences and observations about the Royal University of Bhutan, including the people and students he meets there. He then explains how the Queen of Bhutan gave them permission to organize a run across the country, stopping in villages along the way to raise money for Bhutanese students. Tony and his team choose ten students to take part in the run, and they are also joined by a stray dog during their journey. They call the run as Tara-thon based on Tara maa of the Buddhist culture. Along the way, Tony shares ancient stories about Bhutan, describes traditional foods such as ema datshi, and explains the traditional clothing worn by Bhutanese people. One ancient story mentioned in The Dragon Run is the story of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), an important Buddhist figure in Bhutan. According to Bhutanese tradition, Guru Rinpoche came to Bhutan in the 8th century and helped spread Buddhism throughout the country. His stories are an important part of Bhutan’s history and culture.
The Dragon Run begins at Sherubtse College in Kanglung, near Trashigang, in eastern Bhutan. Tony, his wife, and the ten students run westward through places such as Mongar, Thrumshing-La, Jakar, Trongsa, Chendebji, Pele-La, Wangdue Phodrang and Nobding before finally reaching Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.
The book includes many interesting stories about the people they meet and the challenges the students overcome during the run. I especially enjoyed the real photographs and sketches drawn by Tony himself between the chapters because they made the journey feel more realistic. At the end of the journey, the team meets the Queen and gives her the money they raised. While reading the book, I felt as if I was running alongside them and experiencing the beautiful journey through Bhutan myself.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves travelling and discovering new places and cultures. It is an inspiring and adventurous story that takes readers on an unforgettable journey through the beautiful country of Bhutan.
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